Watch_Dogs 2 is watching you...literally! Takes Screenshots, Monitors Your System

What it basically means is that EasyAntiCheat installs a driver in kernel mode and a service that monitors your system (when Watch Dogs 2 is running). This mechanism is also running even when you're in single-player-only - and even offline - modes, meaning that you're not getting out of its crosshairs no matter how you are playing the game. The addition of file-integrity checks at the start of the game, so as to detect any changes to the games' files also precludes modding, with some injection-type modding also finding troubles in being able to access the game, due to it checking game memory and system memory as well. Popular applications such as Afterburner and OBS have their overlay and recording capabilities disabled, and Cheat Engine is also not working - though that just means EasyAntiCheat is doing its job.

And what is truly outrageous...

3. EasyAntiCheat will take screenshots of your game screen and upload them on public servers, viewable to everyone, if the server provider wishes so. The author of this software and EasyAntiCheat takes no responsibility of screenshots captured outside the game screen. If any personal or harmful information is captured into a screenshot, the user is fully responsible of the happened incident and any consequences it may result in. (In case this happens to you, please inform your server provider to remove unwanted screenshots from the server.)

Source

Guess that'll teach these PC gamers pirates! Down with them by ANY means necessary.

I don't get what the issue is. You're upset the game is trying to prevent cheating? The games single player and multiplayer modes are blended together, of course the anti cheat measures need to be always active.

Not sure what the second part about taking pictures is about, but it's just a screenshot of the game. Who cares?

Yes that is exactly the point the article and I are trying to make!

As someone who cheats a lot in single-player games I find this annoying. Give me the option to play without constant high-score boards and integrated online bs.

I went to a website of theirs and it has screens, found one with a steam convo: Link

@Juub1990: lol I'm so confused but OK.

What the actual **** Ubi?

Is this PC only or is it also on consoles?

What the **** is up with number 3? Better not alt-tab and buy some shit online.

Welp. Good thing I don't want to play this game. Ubi can suck it outside of new Rayman games. Actually **** it; I'll just stay away from U-play all together.

@LustForSoul: this game isn't for you then. The inline integration is a part of the gameplay loop and the experience. You level up and gain skills and abilities and weapons that you can also use in vs online, cheats would remove all fairness. Just play GTA V modded offline if you want cheats.

Thats one of the most heinous things I can remember from a game

Some NSA shit right here. Goddamn Ubisoft this is why I don't buy your games.

That's a rootkit.

Also leaves a backdoor.

"You are fully responsible for stuff you didn't read, didn't know about and didn't agree to"

laughing out loud

I guess the whole idea behind Watch Dogs is correct, everything can be hacked...

Welp, there's one game I am never ever touching.

I stopped buying Ubishit software so not my concern.

Well that definitely means I'm not touching that game. I'm no fan of piracy or online cheats but opening a backdoor into a private system, that could potentially be exploited by unscrupulous hackers and data miners, is really not the way to beat them.

I wonder what the legalities of this are? Generally EULA's that come up in court cases are completely disregarded and someone could easily be accessing their online bank account (or other personal data) with the game minimised and still running in the back ground, without them ever being aware that the game has a root kit running and recording everything they are doing.

Santaaaaaaa! Why you so cruel!

What happens if you ALT/TAB out and need to do some banking or something when it wants to take a picture? Although legally they can't make the user responsible for them taking pictures, could be a lawsuit in the making.

Hilarious listening to you people defending this practice. Next year will be "Who cares? The game is only taking shots of you through your webcam for facial recognition within the game. Nothing bad could happen, it's part of the always online experience!"

Idiots.

Thanks for the heads up..guess I won't be buying this game. :P

ubisoft can't help but be put in the spotlight for dumb shit like this

@Juub1990: WTF? Ubisoft's doing it again? Last time they installed a browser extension without the knowledge of the user.

Thanks for this notification. I'll be passing on this, I think. Sad because my 1080 is more than ready to get the most out of this game and I was very much looking to getting it on PC.

Now? Dunno.

I smell an outrage and lawsuit coming.

I'm wondering the same, this would be a HUGE privacy risk.

Just another reason to stay away from this franchise and ubi in general.

Watch Dog 2 could have used Windows 10's UWP sandbox i.e. effectively Xbox One virtual box on your Windows 10 PC.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/3049955/security/microsoft-uwp-boosts-security-for-windows-apps.html

UWP and the Windows Store, however, aren't as onerous as Apple’s Mac OS X store or the App Store for iOS apps, because developers can continue to push their applications through their own channels.

“This is an open platform. For over 30 years, Windows has welcomed an open ecosystem of hardware and software partners. Nothing changes with the Universal Windows Platform,” Satya Nadella said at Build.

Nothing changes, except for the fact that Windows becomes more secure.

3rd party software vendors can continue to push for their own e-Store with UWP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GgutlKV42SY&feature=youtu.be&t=4769

So it's literally a hacking game?

-_________- , Dude

That is complete bullshit. It shouldn't be able to record private conversations.

is not a good game anyway

The anti cheating thingie is arguably understandable, from the seamless single/multuplayer point of view.

The screenshot thingie is OTOH, totally inexcusable...

It is also able to remotely control your webcam so they can record who is cheating.

And who is masturbating and having sex in the background for their gratification

Pussy shots incoming

this games crap, whos gonna waste time pirating it?

You expected something positive from Ubishit? Come on now, its the end of 2016.

@Yams1980: Have you played it?

I was considering getting this game today...came across this on other sites and now here.

Let me Trump this up: "Ubisoft, full of losers, spying on customers! Sad!"

Hmm. That goes too far. They must know that this is too much. What are they thinking?! Who approves of something like this?

Well wasn't buying that stupid hipster nonsense anyway.

You didn't read the previous replies, did you?

He's talking about this guy, I believe.

I have three monitors and always have info and websites open in the other two while I play games, so I will never buy this game now. Thanks TC

He probably read that comment and decided that several "people" were defending Ubisoft. Silly man.